1977 Ford F-250 Gets Its First Wash in 35 Years. Glove Box Hides Very Nasty Surprise!

The first challenge the team encounters is getting the truck out of the barn they found it in. There are dozens of barrels full off engine oil that have to be moved out of the way to free the path for the Ford. Afterward, the team inflates the tires that at first, can't possibility spin. They are buried in mud. They eventually manage to tow it out in broad daylight, its first experience of the kind in 35 years.

The F-250 is so wide and tall that it barely fits inside the truck that will transport it to the WD Detailing shop. There is so much dirt on this truck that it would probably fill up the entire load bed. The layer of dust is so thick that the F-250 Custom badge is completely covered and barely noticeable.

The model rolled off the production line with a factory-mounted off-road package that includes lights galore and several other features that enhance its rugged appearance, plus the "Explorer" badge.

Once they click the door open, they are slapped by the odor inside the cabin. Those doors have probably been closed for more than three decades. But that layer of dust seems to hide a very nice trim with chequered upholstery and a red leather dashboard and door cards. The leather features no visible cracks, which is amazing for a car that rolled off the production line in 1977.

Furthermore, the odometer shows only 17,000 miles (27,359 kilometers), all of them covered before 1989, the year when it last set wheels on public roads, which makes it a time machine.

The vehicle sports some serious scratches and dents on one side. The farmer who owns it knows exactly how they got there. Once, a cow got too close to the vehicle parked inside the barn. The animal did not have enough space to turn and had to walk backward, pushing into the doors of the truck and causing serious damage.

The mirror on the driver's side is hanging, so the detailing team will have to solve that issue as well. They start with the wheels and tires, which undergo pressure washing, brushing, and pressure washing again before rinsing. They also have to sweep the debris from inside the load bed, a move that fills the entire shop with dust.

They have to vacuum the rusted leaves from inside the engine bay. Once they start power washing the body of the car, a pretty red shows up from underneath the dirt and the procedure is satisfying to watch. There is so much soil on the roof that you get the feeling that a whole vegetable garden can grow up there. Minutes later, that F-250 Custom badge on the front fenders shows up in all its glory.

The model is powered by a 6.6-liter petrol engine (400 cubic inches). But the V8 must have seen better days when it generated 169 horsepower. Right now, the wiring and hoses seem to have been the victim of rodents and everything stinks under the hood.

The truck sports two fuel tanks. One is located behind the seats, and the other one is at the back of the vehicle. Vacuuming the carpet reveals a shade of red, confirming that the entire interior was – yes, you guessed – red!

The F-250 Custom seems very well equipped for the era that it comes from. It features a radio, a heating system, and a cooling system. While they clean the door cards, the dents in the exterior door panels get fixed.

Opening the glove box gives the team members the surprise of their lives. There is so much… nobody-knows-what in there, filling the entire compartment! It looks like hair, dust, rusted leaves, dead insects, and rodents poo. It is a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it! Pressure washing, foam, and rinsing will help them get rid of the smell that the nobody-knows-what left behind.

The seats look as if mice have been making them their own private highway for the past 35 years. But once cleaned up, the checkered fabric and nude leather look as good as new.

When they finish the cleaning, they notice a lot of oxidation on the body of the Ford. Something must have been dripping on the hood. But polish would solve the issue while keeping its patina.

The barn where they found the 1977 Ford F-250 Custom also sheltered a 1978 25th Anniversary Pace Car Chevy Corvette that we reported about earlier this week.